Chapter 1492: New Allies

After the Great Elf King left with Qiao Xueying, Zu An and his group split into two. Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue stayed behind to monitor Lei Xin and Wu Cheng's party. Zu An, along with the Little Demon Empress and Yu Yanluo, went to the Golden Peng King's manor to find the Little Golden Peng King.

The Peacock Bright King, whose daughter Kong Nanwu had become the Crown Princess, was a natural ally of the Crown Prince, making it inconvenient to approach him. However, the Little Golden Peng King's father most likely died at the hands of the Old Demon Emperor, so he must harbor resentment towards the imperial family and the Crown Prince. There was still hope of winning him over.

Along the way, Zu An carried the little prince. The boy was initially unaccustomed to this unfamiliar godfather and refused to be held. However, after a while, he realized that Zu An wasn't so scary and was quite good-looking. With the Little Demon Empress's encouragement, the prince reluctantly allowed himself to be held. Having been through so much fright that night, he felt the man's broad, sturdy shoulder and unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

Seeing her son's face resting on Zu An's shoulder in deep sleep, the Little Demon Empress felt a warmth in her heart. She mused that her son was usually close to no one but her, yet he was so intimate with Zu An. Crucially, Zu An was also kind to him, showing no impatience whatsoever. Could this be destiny?

Yu Yanluo, seeing this scene, felt a touch of envy. She thought, 'Ah Zu seems to really like children. Perhaps I should have a child for him too.' Thinking of the intimate moments between them, her cheeks flushed slightly. However, she soon remembered that the Medusa bloodline was destined to produce only daughters, meaning she probably couldn't bear him a son... At this thought, she couldn't help but feel a little regret.

Soon, the group arrived at the Golden Peng King's manor. Upon seeing the Little Demon Empress, the guards at the gate were both shocked and excited. Learning that she wished to see the Little Golden Peng King, a guard enthusiastically ran to report, seemingly eager to leave a good impression on her.

Zu An couldn't help but tease, "Your Majesty seems to possess great charm."

"It's a pity some people aren't even willing to take a second look," the Little Demon Empress said faintly.

Zu An knew she was still bothered by what had happened in the room earlier, so he simply smiled faintly, offering no explanation. Yu Yanluo, however, looked puzzled. Her gaze darted between the two, wondering if she had missed something important.

Not long after, the guard returned, saying apologetically, "Your Majesty, our young prince went hunting in the city outskirts this morning and is staying at a villa outside the city. He hasn't returned."

"He went hunting outside the city?" The Little Demon Empress frowned.

"Yes," the guard replied, sensing her disappointment. He lowered his head, appearing remorseful for not being able to help her.

Zu An smiled, stopped the Little Demon Empress from saying anything more, and simply pulled her away. Seeing this, the guards at the gate widened their eyes. Who was this man, pulling the Little Demon Empress so casually? More importantly, the Little Demon Empress seemed accustomed to it. Could he be a eunuch from the palace? But looking at his dignified demeanor, he didn't resemble a eunuch in the slightest.

The group paid no mind to the guards' thoughts. The Little Demon Empress couldn't help but complain, "Why did you pull me away? They were clearly lying." As a woman, especially one admired by men, it was easy for her to see through their intentions.

Zu An chuckled, "Yes, but do you think they would dare to tell such a lie without authorization?"

"Are you saying this was the Little Golden Peng King's instruction?" The Little Demon Empress's heart stirred. She was also intelligent; her earlier confusion was simply due to her eagerness to win over the Little Golden Peng King.

Zu An nodded: "It seems the Little Golden Peng King, seeing the conflict in the city, guessed our origins. He doesn't want to get involved, so he found an excuse to send us away."

"If he's unwilling to join, that's troublesome," the Little Demon Empress said, a hint of worry in her voice.

At this moment, Yu Yanluo spoke softly: "This might not be a bad thing. It proves that the Little Golden Peng King hasn't sided with either the Crown Prince or the Second Prince. Otherwise, they would have already entered the battle and would have taken control of us when we came alone. In this situation, his choice of neutrality is actually beneficial to us."

The Little Demon Empress's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but examine Yu Yanluo a few more times. She had previously thought the Medusa Queen was merely a beautiful ornament, but she never expected her to possess such insight.

"A'Luo is right," Zu An said. "His neutrality is actually the greatest help. His status is special, and we don't have a strong connection with him. Lingering there any longer would be a waste of time."

"A'Luo?" Hearing his affectionate address, the Little Demon Empress mused that their relationship was deeper than she had imagined.

At this moment, Yu Yanluo remarked faintly, "It's a pity the Little Golden Peng King doesn't have any sisters or anything. Otherwise, Ah Zu might have found a way."

Zu An: "..."

The Little Demon Empress couldn't help but chuckle, knowing Yu Yanluo was making a sarcastic remark about the Elf Princess incident earlier. At the same time, she was curious: what kind of charm did Zu An possess to make so many beautiful women vie for his attention?

Not long after, the group arrived at the Sea Clan's residence. Unlike their visit to the Little Golden Peng King's manor, they were quickly invited inside. Chiwen rushed out from afar to greet them. Naturally, he automatically ignored Zu An, his gaze entirely fixed on Yu Yanluo and the Little Demon Empress. However, considering Zu An's strength, he wisely shifted his gaze from Yu Yanluo. He thought, 'Hmph, the Medusa Queen is your woman, but surely I can admire the Little Demon Empress?'

Previously, he had only seen the Little Demon Empress's grace from afar. Now, with such close proximity, his eyes gleamed. He was exceptionally enthusiastic towards her, constantly introducing things and trying to get close to her. The Little Demon Empress responded politely, handling the situation with ease, as she had encountered such scenarios many times before. In contrast, being ignored by Zu An in the room earlier had completely thrown her off.

They soon arrived in the reception hall. Seeing the familiar graceful figure in the room, Zu An felt a sense of peace. Unlike her usual simple dress, Shang Liuyu today represented the dignity of the Sea Clan. She wore a luxurious, wide-sleeved flowing immortal dress. The fabric was woven from the scales of the extremely rare Xuan-Light Green-Bone Beast and silk spun by the Neon-Glow Frost-Flower Silkworm, adorned with beautiful coral and inlaid with shimmering pearls. The reception hall here was not lit by fire like those of other races. Instead, it was illuminated by large luminous pearls, whose soft glow shone upon her, making her appear even more radiant and captivating.

At this moment, Shang Liuyu was no longer the carefree and uninhibited girl from Brightmoon Academy in their memories. She was the esteemed princess of the Sea Clan. Of course, what remained consistent were her pristine, crystalline bare feet, whose graceful, natural curve even overshadowed her magnificent attire.

Upon seeing Zu An, Shang Liuyu offered a faint smile. However, when she saw the child Zu An was holding, her smile immediately froze. Her first thought was: 'Is his child that old already?' Only after recognizing the little prince did she breathe a sigh of relief. Suppressing her confusion, she chuckled, "You truly have a great destiny. If the world were without you, it would certainly be much less fun."

The Little Demon Empress was a little surprised. First, she hadn't expected that, as the dignified Demon Empress, she wouldn't be the first person greeted. Second, the other party's tone suggested a relationship with Zu An that seemed closer than what the intelligence reports indicated.

Zu An sighed, "I was supposed to die. I had already met the King of Hell, but he heard I had one enormous regret – not seeing Sister Shang one last time before I died – so he let me come back."

Chiwen, who was secretly admiring the Little Demon Empress's beauty from the side, couldn't help but twitch his lips. He thought, 'Zu An isn't really trying to become my aunt's husband, is he? But these pick-up lines are truly clumsy, only good for tricking naive young girls. My aunt is so intelligent and detests smooth-talkers; how could she fall for something so easily?'

Shang Liuyu smiled faintly, "You rascal, your words are always so wild and imaginative. If you've seen me now, won't you have to report back to the King of Hell?"

Zu An shook his head, "The King of Hell had also long heard of the Mermaid Princess's beauty, but regrettably never had the chance to meet her. So, he gave me a mirror, allowing me to stay in the mortal realm for a few more years to capture more images of the Mermaid Princess before returning." As he spoke, he pulled out the Qin King's Soul-Reflecting Mirror, as if to prove his point. However, upon seeing what was in the mirror, his face immediately flushed, and he quickly put it away. He had almost forgotten that the mirror now had a certain special function; it was truly an unintentional offense.

Shang Liuyu, unaware that she had been subtly taken advantage of, couldn't help but burst into laughter, shaking with mirth. "It's been so long," she said, "and you're still as glib as ever."

Seeing his aunt laughing so happily, without a hint of annoyance, Chiwen was instantly dumbfounded. He thought, 'Aunt, this doesn't match your usual demeanor! In the past, whenever I tried to flirt with girls like this, you'd always scold me. How come now you can't see his intentions?'

The Little Demon Empress's expression was also very strange. She suddenly recalled Yu Yanluo's teasing remark from earlier and felt a pang of regret: 'Why doesn't the Little Golden Peng King have an older or younger sister?' At the same time, she felt extremely confident about the success of their mission.

Shang Liuyu exchanged banter with Zu An for a while, then gave Yu Yanluo a slight nod of acknowledgment. She then turned to the Little Demon Empress, saying, "Your Majesty, coming so late, I presume it's for something important."

The Little Demon Empress inwardly grumbled, 'You finally remembered me.' She then roughly explained the purpose of their visit. Chiwen's face changed drastically as he listened, clearly shocked.

Shang Liuyu, however, appeared as if she had expected it all along. "Your Majesty," she said, "to be honest, if it weren't for Ah Zu, I wouldn't have even opened the door for you today."